1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to power systems for workstation. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to an intelligent battery system for a workstation.
2. Background of the Invention
Mobile workstations are well known in the art and used in a variety of applications, particularly in environments where it is efficient to take a computer to the point of data collection as opposed to collecting information and later entering it in a computer. This is especially true in medical fields where the automated entry of patient information can improve the quality of care and radically reduce human error. Presently, in the hospital setting, workstations are used regularly to collect patient vital information, automatically dispense drugs, and perform routine maintenance of patient records.
While the use of workstations has become routine, the art of powering such devices is still evolving. Early workstations had to be plugged in to an electrical outlet in each room as the workstation was moved patient-to-patient. Next, permanent batteries found their way on to workstations. Unfortunately, as the batteries became depleted, the workstation had to be plugged in or, worse yet, taken out of service to recharge the batteries. More recently, swappable batteries are becoming common place. Obviously, a system with just a removable battery requires the electronic systems on the workstation to be shut down and restarted before and after a battery swap, respectively. This problem was first addressed by U.S. Pat. No. 7,800,255 issued to Coonan, et al. Coonan suggests using a small permanent battery that can briefly supply power while the larger, swappable battery is exchanged. The small permanent battery is charged by its swappable counterpart.
Further advancements were offered by U.S. application Ser. No. 12/761,792 by Murtha, et al., which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Murtha provides two swappable batteries. Power is drawn from the first battery until it is depleted, at which time the system begins drawing power from the second battery. While the second battery is discharging, the first battery may be swapped at the user's leisure. When the second battery is depleted, the system once again draws power from the first battery. Further, the system detects a user's actions to remove a battery and automatically switches to the other battery.
One drawback of such systems is only a single output voltage is provided. Typically a voltage is provided to operate a single workstation system. If other voltages are needed, an inverter and power supply may be used to provide power to other systems. Obviously, in such an arrangement losses are present in both the inverter and power supply.
Another drawback of all of these systems is the lack of a provision for keeping the operator fully aware of the status of each battery and the health of the system in general. It is well known in the art to provide a charge indication on a battery, often called a “fuel gauge” because it resembles the fuel gauge in a car and provides a similar function, namely an indication of the percentage of time left to operate. However, such fuel gauges are not always in plain view of the operator and the operator may not remember to regularly check battery status.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a power system for a workstation that provides a remote visual indication of the status of each battery within the system. In addition, the system interfaces with the workstation computer and an application thereon provides the user with system information such as the percentage charge in each battery, the operating time remaining on each battery, the health of the batteries, and the like.